Generation amd ignition control device



Feb. 14, 1928.

. A. H. VAN ZEE' GENERATION AND IGNITION CONTROL DEVICE time.

Patented Feb. 14, 1928.

e. UNITED STATES ANTHONY H. VAN ZEE, OF ORANGE CITY, IOVJ'A.

GENERATION AND IGNITION" CONTROL DEVICE.

Application filed fiebruary 7, 1927. Serial No. 166,582.

My invention relates to a self-lighting lamp or the like, and it is my object to pro: vide automatic mechanism for lighting :1

amp of the gasoline type at a predetermined More specifically, it is my purpose to provide mechanism for, first heating the generating coil of a gasoline mantle lamp or the like, and then, after a sufiicient period of time has elapsed to heat the coil to generation point, to automatically open the feed valve of the lamp.

A further object of the invention is the providing of a simple timing and operating mechanism for accomplishing the two steps of heating the generating coil and then, after a predetermined time, opening the feed valve ofthe lamp, said operating mechanism being initially set in action at a predetermined t me by the timing mechanism and thence serving in itself to time the succeeding operations.

it-h these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangen'ient and combination of the Various parts of my device, whereby the objects con tcmplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my clalms, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is an assembly view of the lamp operatively connected with the lighting mechanism, the operating mechanism being set for operation.

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. at is a detail sectional View through the ignition device.

The use of automatic lighting mechanism for chicken houses and the like has become very widespread; automatic clock controlled electric lighting mechanism has proven successful. However, a greatmany farms are not equipped with electric power and if artificial lighting is to be used, it must be by gasoline or acetylene or the like.

i The purpose of the present invention 18 to provide arr-automatic time controlled mechanism where generation and ignition are both necessary.

I have used the reference character to indicate generally a support for the lamp cluding the gasoline tank 11, feed valve 12, generating coil 13, mantle lat and chimney Secured to the mantle post 16 is abracket 17 which supports a cup 18 containing refractory material 19 such as asbestos or mineral fiber. The cup just described forms part of my invention and is provided for the purpose of heating the coil 13.

Alcohol is placed in the cup and is ab sorbcd by the refractory material. This is done at the time the mechanism is set in the evening for operation upon the ensuing morning. In order to ignite the alcohol at the proper time, I provide a spark gap formed between the edge of the cup 18 and an electrode 20 supported upon a block of insulating material 21 which in turn is secured to the end of the bracket 17. The secondary circuit of an induction coil 22 includes the wire 23 connected to the electrode 20, the wire 2i, which is grounded to the lamp supporting structure 10, and the cup 18, which also is grounded to the mantle structure 10, through the lamp.

The primary of the induction coil 22 includes a wire 25, av source of current not shown, a wire 26, a brush 27, a commutator disc 28 which is grounded to the base 10 through a shaft 29 to which it is secured, and the clockwork frame 30 in which the shaft is journalled, and the wire 2%. The coinmutator disc 28 is rotated by a spring motor Sl connected to the shaft 29 by a train of gears 32, 33, 34+. anc 35. The rotation of the commutator is controlled i3) a brake shoe 35 acting against a brake wheel 37 connected to the train of gears just described by the secondary train of gears 38, 23$). lf 4-1 and The commutator 28 may thus be set in the proper position by manually actuating the brake shoe 36 through the medium of the lever 43 secured to the shaft ll which carries the brake shoe 36. A spring 45 tends to normally maintain the brake shoe in engagement with the brake wheel 37. In thus setting the commutator, it is allowed to rotate to a position where the brush 27 rests in contact with the insulated sector 46.

It will now be seen that upon release of the brake by the proper timing mechanism, the commutator will rotate under the urge of the spring 31, causing the brush 27 to complete the primary circuit of the induction coil 22, producing a spark between the electrode 20 and the cup 18. The brush 27 is time interval.

of spring material, placed under sulficient tension so that when the commutatorihas rotated less than one revolution, the brush will slip through a slot at? and thusbreak the circuit while allowing'the remainder of" the actuating mechanism to continue in operation. V l a In order to release the brake 36 at the proper time interval, I provide an ordinary clock mechanism, indicated generally at et8 and including a lever 49 actuatedin the direction of the arrow '50 atapredetermined The..mechanis m for timing andactuating the lever 49 may be of the type ordinarily employed toactuate the alarm of an alarm clock, andincludes the shaft 51, which is'so connected with a spring lever 75 as to allow said lever to move suddenly in a direction longitudinal of the shaft 51 at a certain predetermined time, determined by the setting off the shaft. lever which in an ordinary alarm clock, re-

7 leases the clapper of the bell by such movement longitudinal of the shaft 51. v,

V In place of theusual bell clappen'lemploy ardi'sc 76,.whioh is secured upon the shaft 77 carrying the lever 49 and which is provided with a finger 78, normally engaged byjthe laterally turned end 75 of' the lever 7 The end 7 5 of the lever 75 is provided with a bevelled cam face 75 and when the shaft77 is rotated in a direction oppos te to that of the arrow 50 'toreset the brake mechanism with the brake engaged, the finger 78 will engage this inclined face 75 and' move the spring lever 7 5 laterally to allow 'thefinger to clear the end of'the member 7 5 will swing the brake shoe 36 away from contact with the brake wheel 37.

yThe mechanism for opening the valve 12 1s timed by the rotation of the shaft 29. which.

due to the gear train acting in the usual fmanner as a governing mechanism, will rotate at a: predetermined rate of speed" A vdrum 53 is rotatably secured upon the shaft 29 and may be lockedthereon by means of a slide pin 54;- extending through the drum and into an opening in the disc 28. The pin 54 is normally extended'into the opening'in the discvbut' may be withdrawn to change the .settingoffthe drum 53 relative to thedisc in order to adjust the timing 'mechanism' which will now be described.

A cordor cable or the like 55 is secured to The lever 75 is the 7 and'wound about the drum 53 and thence-extended through a guide 56'to the'latchr57 of the valve operating lever 58. The lever 58 is a. spring'6l into engagement with a keeper 62 secured tot-he clockwork cover 63. The rotation ofhthe disc '28 is in the direction of the. arrow (Ll. It will now be seen that, upon releasejof the brake shoe 36, the disc 28-and drum 53"willcommence rotating, an igniting spark occurring during the first revolution andtlie cord'55, being then wound'upon'the drum 53 until the slack. portion of the cord has been-drawn tight whence thelatch 57 will be released and the lever 58 allowed to spring downwardly, to open the forward valve 12. Thealcoholin the cup 18 has, duringthis interval, produced a flame to heatthe coil 13"and when the valve is opened and a spray of vapor is delivered to the mantles 14:. the same flame will serve toilight the mantle.

Simultaneously with the opening of the valve 12, the brake mechanism will'b'e again applied to stop the rotation of theactuating me'chanlsm. This i's'accomplished by means of'a cable 66 secured to the end of the lever V 58 extending through'a guide 67 and thence secured to the lever 49. Suflicient slack is leftin the cable 66 so that the lever 49 will not be acted upon until the lever 58 has reached the lower limit of its movement. It will be seen to be necessary to stop'the actuating mechanism in order that the pressure upon the cable 55 may not be increased to a. point where there is a likelihood of injuring the latch 57 In order to reset the mechanism, it is necessary to reset'thebrush 27 and the disc 38' in their proper positions as shown in Fig. l and thence to' unwind'the cable and return the latch 57 to its; engagement with the keeper 62.

Some changes may be made in the constructionand arrangement of the partsof my invention without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention tocover by'my claims, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents, which maybe reasonably included within theirscope.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an automatic generation and light- 7 ing device, a gcnerationcoil and aburner,- a' cupbeneath sald coil, an induction'coi-l', an ignition device-having a spark gap adjacent said cup and included in" the secondary circuit of'the induct-ion coil, actuating 'mech-j "anism including'a commutator adaptedto make and break theprimary circuit'of said.

induction'coil, braking meansact-iv'el upon said actuating mechanism; timecontroll ed means for releasing said braking ineans, and

a feed valve, opened by said actuating mechanisin a predetermined period after said actuating mechanism has been set in motion by release of the braking means.

2. In an automatic generation and lighting device, a generation coil and a burner, a cup beneath said coil, an induction c-oi'l, an ignition device having a spark gap adjacent said cup and included in the secondary cir cuit of the induction coil, actuating mechanism including a commutator adapted to makeand break the primary circuit of said induction coil, braking means active upon said actuating mechanism, time controlled means for releasing said braking means, a feed valve, opened by said actuating mechanism a predetermined period after said actuating mechanism has been set in motion by release of the braking means, and means for re-engaging the braking means directly after the feed valve has been opened.

3. In an automatic generation and lighting device, a generation coil, a. burner, and a feed valve, a spring-urged lever operatively connected with the valve, a latch to maintain the lever in inoperative position, actuating mechanism adapted. to be set in motion at apredetermined time interval, an element connecting the actuating mechanism with the latch in such manner as to transmit movement to release the latch after a predetermined amount of movement of the actuating mechanism, and an ignition device operated by said actuating mechanism near the beginning of its movement.

at. In an automatic generation and lighting device, a generation coil, a burner, and a feed valve, a spring-urged lever operatively connected with the valve, a latch to maintain the lever in inoperative position, actuating mech anism adapted to be set in motion at a predetermined time interval, an element connecting the actuating mechanism with the latch in such manner as to transmit movement to release the latch alter a predetermined amount of movement of the actuating mechanism.

In an automatic generation and lighting device, a generation coil and burner, a cup for heating the coil, an ignition device having a spark gap adjacent said cup, and timecontrolled mechanism for controlling the flow or current to said ignition device.

(3. In an automatic generation and lighting device, a generation coil and burner, a cup for heating the coil, an ignition device having a spark gap adjacent said cup, a timecontrolled commutator comprising a rotating disc having a slot and an insulated portion, and a brush coacting with said commutator, adapted to slip through said slot after a revolution of the comn'iutator, and an electric circuit including said connnutator, said brush, and the ignition device.

7. In a generation device, a generating coil, a. cup for heating said coil, an ignition device including an electrode spaced from the edge of the cup and insulated therefrom, and time-controlled mechanism having a. member forming part of an electric circuit including the cup and the electrode.

Signed this 31st day of January, 1927, in the county of lVoodbury and State of Iowa.

ANTHONY H. VAN ZEE. 

